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Note: The LinuxSpeaks.pm Perl module is very similar to PerlSpeak but allows speech to be stopped instantly
in non-blocking mode (which is the default). This allows for a much faster delivery of speech and a much
more usable interface. At this time the LinuxSpeaks Perl module is only available bundled with the
Linux Speaks package.
PerlSpeak Documentation
PerlSpeak version 2.01
======================
PerlSpeak - Perl Module for text to speech with festival, espeak, cepstral and others.
PerlSpeak.pm is Perl Module for text to speech with festival or cepstral.
(Other tts systems may be used by setting the tts command properties).
PerlSpeak.pm includes several useful interface methods like an audio file
selector and menu system. PerlSpeak.pm was developed to use in the
Linux Speaks system, an audio interface to linux.
INSTALLATION
To install this module type the following:
perl Makefile.PL
make
make test
make install
COPYRIGHT AND LICENCE
Copyright (C) 2007 by Joe Kamphaus
This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
it under the same terms as Perl itself, either Perl version 5.6 or,
at your option, any later version of Perl 5 you may have available.
SYNOPSIS
my $ps = PerlSpeak->new([property => value, property => value, ...]);
METHODS
$ps = PerlSpeak->new([property => value, property => value, ...]);
Creates a new instance of the PerlSpeak object.
$ps->say("Text to speak.");
$ps->say("file_name");
The basic text to speech interface.
$ps->readfile("file_name");
Reads contents of a text file.
$ps->file2wave("text_file_in", "audio_file_out");
Converts a text file to an audio file.
$path = $ps->filepicker("/start/directory");
An audio file selector that returns a path to a file. If "dir_return" is true
"filepicker" may also return the path to a directory.
$path = $ps->dirpicker("/start/directory");
An audio directory selector that returns a path to a directroy.
$chr = $ps->getchr();
Returns next character typed on keyboard
$ps->menu("Text to speak" => $callback, "Other text to speak" => $callback, ...)
An audio menu executes callback when item is selected
PROPERTIES
The default property settings should work in most cases. The exception is
if you want to use a tts system other than festival or cepstral. The rest
of the properties are included because I found them usefull in some instances.
$ps->{tts_engine} => "festival" or "cepstral"; Default is "festival"
Other tts engines can be used by using the tts command properties.
$ps->{tts_command} => "command text_arg"; Default is ""
Command to read a text string. "text_arg" = text string.
$ps->{tts_file_command} => "command file_arg" Default is ""
Command to read a text file. "file_arg" = path to text file to be read.
$ps->{file2wave_command} => "command IN OUT"; Default is ""
Command for text file to wave file. "IN" = input file "OUT" = output file.
Not needed if tts_engine is festival" or "cepstral.
$ps->{no_dot_files} => $boolean; Default is 1
$ Hides files that begin with a '.'
$ps->{hide_extentions} => $boolean; Default is 0
Will hide file extensions.
NOTE: If hiding extensions the no_dot_files property must be set to 1.
$ps->{make_readable} => "regexp pattern"; default is "[_\\]"
will substitute spaces for regexp pattern
$ps->{browsable} => $boolean; Default is 1
If true filepicker can browse other directories via the right and left arrows.
$ps->{dir_return} => $boolean; Default is 1
If true filepicker may return directories as well as files.
$ps->{file_prefix} => $text; Default is "File"
For filepicker. Sets text to speak prior to file name.
$ps->{dir_prefix} => "text"; Default is "Folder"
For filepicker and dirpicker. Sets text to speak prior to directory name.
HOW TO USE
!/usr/bin/perl
use PerlSpeak;
my $ps = PerlSpeak->new();
# Set properties
$ps->{tts_engine} = "festival"; or cepstral
# Optionally set your own tts command use text_arg where the text goes
$ps->{tts_command} => "";
$ps->{no_dot_files} => 1;
$ps->{hide_extentions} => 0;
# Audio file selectors
my $file = $ps->filepicker($ENV{HOME}); Returns a file.
my $dir = $ps->dirpicker($ENV{HOME}); Returns a directory.
$ps->say("Hello World!"); #The computer talks.
# Returns the next character typed on the keyboard
# May take 2 or 3 calls for escape sequences.
print $ps->getch();
# Make some sub refs to pass to menu
my $email = sub {
print "Email\n";
};
my $internet = sub {
print "Internet\n";
};
my $docs = sub {
print "Documents\n"
};
my $mp3 = sub {
print "MP3\n";
};
my $cdaudio = sub {
print "CD Audio\n"
};
my $help = sub {
print "Browse Help\n"
};
# menu is a talking menu
# Pass menu a hash of "text to speak" => $callback pairs
$ps->menu(
"E-mail Menu" => $email,
"Internet Menu" => $internet,
"Documents Menu" => $docs,
"M P 3 audio" => $mp3,
"C D audio" => $cdaudio,
"Browse help files" => $help,
};
CHANGES
1/3/2007 ver 0.03
* Fixed error handling for opendir and readdir.
* Added property tts_command => $string
(insert "text_arg" where the text to speak should be.)
* Added property no_dot_files => $boolean default is 1
(Set to 0 to show hidden files)
* Fixed bug in tts_engine => "cepstral" (previously misspelled as cepstrel)
* Added funtionality to traverse directory tree up as well as down.
(user can now use the arrow keys for browsing and selecting
up and down browses files in current directory. Right selects the
file or directory. Left moves up one directory like "cd ..")
* Added property hide_extentions => $boolean to turn off speaking of file
extensions with the filepicker method. Default is 0.
(NOTE: If hiding extensions the no_dot_files property must be set to 1)
* Added property "make_readable" which takes a regular expression as an argument.
PerlSpeak.pm substitues a space for characters that match expression. The
default is "[_\\]" which substitutes a space for "\" and "_".
1/9/2007 ver 0.50
* Added funtionality for reading a text file. Method "say" will now take
text or a file name as an argument. Also added method "readfile" which
takes a file name as an argument. The property tts_file_command was also
added to accomodate tts systems other than festival or cepstral.
* Added funtionality for converting a text file to a wave file via the
"file2wave" method and optionally the "file2wave_command" property.
* Added properties "file_prefix" and "dir_prefix" to enable changing
text to speak prior to file and directory names in the "filepicker"
and "dirpicker" methods.
* Added "browsable", a boolean property which will togle the browsable feature
of the "filepicker" method.
* Added "dir_return", a boolean property which will allows the "filepicker"
method to return the path to a directory as well as the path to a file.
* Changed required version of perl to 5.6. I see no reason why PerlSpeak.pm
should not work under perl 5.6, however, this has not yet been tested. If
you have problems with PerlSpeak on your version of perl let me know.
1/20/2007 ver 0.51
* Updated documentation
6/17/2007 ver 1.0
* Fixed error message 'cannot stat filename' when making a call to say()
* Final testing for version 1.0
SEE ALSO
Festival Speech Synthesis System is an open source tts system and is usually
included in most Linux distributions.
The Festival Speech Synthesis System can be found at
Their website
Cepstral voices are recomended if you don't mind paying for proprietary
software. I mean no disrespect to any open source zealots, but cepstral
has reasonably priced (I paid about $30) high quality proprietary voices.
Cepstral voices can be found at www.cepstral.com.
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